A great high school football game to start the season in front of a packed stadium between two long time rivals.
Below is the complete Drive Chart with commentary, plus unofficial game stats.
Final: Cedartown 13 Rockmart 12
1st Q 12:00 Rockmart: own 35 (7 play 23 yds: Punt)
On the 1st play of the drive Sr QB JD Davis took the ball up the middle for a 21 yard gain. A holding penalty and a sack by Cedartown’s #5 Isaiah Johnson would force the Jacket to punt.
1st Q 9:13 Cedartown: own 8 (4 play 2 yards: Punt)
49 yard punt put the Dogs deep in their own territory. After a short couple of runs, Cedartown was forced to punt from their 10 yd line.
1st Q 6:48 Rockmart: opponents 42 (3 play 10 yards Fumble)
The Jackets took over in good field position after a short Bulldog punt. 3 plays later Davis would get hit and cough up the ball. #27 Tae Harris fell on the loose ball giving the Dogs the ball back.
1st Q 5:19 Cedartown: own 30 (4 play 70 yards: Touchdown)
Tae Harris had the longest Bulldog run of the night, 20 yards, to set Cedartown up in good field position at the Yellow Jacket 35. #1 QB Drew Ledbetter would find #8 Demarcus Gardner on a 35 yard TD strike on the 4th play of the drive. After an offside call on the Jackets, the Bulldogs decided to go for the 2 point conversion and were stopped short. Cedartown 6 Rockmart 0
1st Q 3:19 Rockmart: own 33 (6 play 67 yards: Touchdown)
The Jackets responded on the next series. Davis would have a 14-yd run combined with a 17-yd completion to Jr Tristian Anderson to set themselves up in good position. #3 Anson High took the pitch around the right side for a 32-yard touchdown. Cedartown’s #19 would block the XP attempt knotting the score at 6-6 with 59 seconds left in the quarter. Cedartown 6 Rockmart 6
1st Q :59 Cedartown: own 28 (9 play 25 yards: Punt)
The Bulldogs were moving the ball well early in the drive, aided by back to back Yellow Jackets offside penalties. The got the ball to the Rockmart 35 before back to back TFL’s by #19 JJ Stocks and #26 Nazhir Turner forced the Bulldogs to punt from the Jacket 43.
2nd Q 9:30 Rockmart: own 16 (15 play 55 yards: Punt)
The Jackets had their longest drive of the night and burned some time in the Quarter. They were able to get the ball to the Cedartown 28, using mostly short runs, where they were faced with a 4th and 8. A holding call on the 4th down play backed them up to the 40 and elected to punt on 4th and 20.
2nd Q 3:54 Cedartown: own 19 (4 play 0 yards: Punt)
The Bulldogs choose to be conservative deep in their own territory, running on 3 consecutive plays for short yardage. After a delay of game penalty they were forced to punt from their own 19.
2nd Q 1:23 Rockmart: opponents 49 (3 play -8 yards: End of Half)
After the short punt, the drive started on the Cedartown side of the 50. A penalty and a 3 yard tackle for loss by Bulldog #3 Taidji Neal would end the half.
Halftime Score: Cedartown 6 Rockmart 6
3rd Q 12:00 Cedartown own 37 (5 play 17 yards Punt)
After Isaiah Johnson opened the half up with a nice 11 yard up the middle, the drive stalled and the Dogs were forced to punt.
3rd Q 9:28 Rockmart own 15 (4 play 2 yards Punt)
Big play of drive was #53 Michael Gibbons knocking down a Jacket pass at the line of scrimmage on 3rd and 8.
3rd Q 8:14 Cedartown own 44 (7 play 28 yards TO Downs)
Rockmart was offsides on back to back plays putting the Dogs into Jacket territory at the 46. A nice completion from Ledbetter to Gardner on 3rd and 5 gave Cedartown a 1st down at the Jacket 33. The drive would stall after a couple of short runs they faced a 4th and 5 at the 28. Rocmarts #7 Luke Clay shot threw the line at tackled Ledbetter 2 yards behind the line of scrimmage on 4th down.
3rd Q 4:59 Rockmart own 30 (4 play 12 yard drive Punt)
Rockmart’s Nazhir Turner was able to pick up a 1st down on a 10 yard run on the 1st play but the drive stalled after a false start and a fumble recovered by the offense.
3rd Q 2:30 Cedartown own 17 (15 play 83 yards TD)
After the punt the Bulldogs would start their longest drive up the night, what turned out to be the winning drive. They were able to pick up 4 1st downs by mostly keeping the ball on the ground. After a false start penalty and Incompletion, they were faced with a 4th and 12 at the Rockmart 44. QB Drew Ledbetter, who also punts, took the snap and ran a beautiful fake and found #3 Neal down the left seam for a 29 yard gain. A couple of short runs later they were set up with 1st and goal at the Jacket 3. Rockmart’s #22 Brent Washington came up with big stops on 1st and 2nd down backing the Dogs up to the 6. Ledbetter called his own number and took the ball around the right end meeting a couple Jackets at the goal line, extending the ball to the pylon. Cedartown 13 Rockmart 6 with 7:23 left in the game.
4th 7:23 Rockmart 85 yard KO Return TD
Jr. Tristian Anderson scooped the ball at the 15 and ran down the left side to potentially tie the game for the Jackets. The XP snapped was bobbled. Cedartown 13 Rockmart 12.
4th 7:04 Cedartown own 30 (9 play 13 yards Punt)
The Drive wasn’t pretty, but they burned clock. The big play was a 5-yard run by #5 Johnson on a 4th and 1 from their own 39.
4th 2:30 Rockmart own 26 (10 play 48 yards Missed FG)
The Jackets got the ball back for one last try to win the game. A 21 yard run by #22 Washington put the Jackets in Bulldog territory. After a couple incomplete shots to the endzone and a delay of game penalty the Jackets were faced with a 4th and 18 and the Bulldog 48. Davis side stepped the rush and rolled to his right finding #14 Jake Bailey at the 21 for a 1st down and set themselves up for the GW field goal. After backing up on a delay of game penalty the Jackets attempted a 44 yd FG, coming up short with just seconds left to play.
Final Score: Cedartown 13 Rockmart 12
Unofficial Game Stats:
Total Yards: Rockmart 236 Cedartown 216
Rushing Leaders:
JD Davis (Rock) 52 yards
Tae Harris (Ctown) 51 yards
Brent Washington (Rock) 47 yards
Passing Leaders:
Ledbetter (CTown) 97 yards TD
Davis (Rock) 74 yards
Receiving Leaders:
Demarcus Gardner (CTwon) 57 yards TD
Jake Bailey (Rock) 39 yards